Instagram reaches a new milestone, Chinese Youku Tudou launches first hardware line and Minecraft launches for Windows Phone.
Instagram announces 300 million users
Instagram has quickly become one of the most important social networks in the world. It became a sensation soon after its launch, and the social network now shares over 70 million photos and videos a day.
Today the company announced its arrival to an important milestone. The service has reached 300 million users. But that is not important only for the sheer immensity of the number, this also means Instagram has finally surpassed Twitter’s numbers, which cap at 284 million.
The company has also announced that they are now verifying badges for celebrities, athletes and brands. This would help you stay connected with those you really care about, not the fake account users who try to fool you.
Opinion: We once thought Twitter was unbeatable, surpassed only by Facebook. Instagram has become a great tool, though. It’s a simple way to share moments through images, Twitter is all about words.
Youku Tudou entering the hardware manufacturing market
Youku Tudou owns the Chinese video streaming market, but they are not planning to stick to their bread and butter exclusively. The company has unveiled that they plan to enter the hardware market with three new devices.
These would be available starting January. The new line of devices include a WiFi router, a smart TV box and a massive 15.6-inch Android tablet. Specific are scarce, but we do know the router will be optimized for making streaming faster, while reducing Youku Tudou’s bandwidth usage. The smart TV box is said to eventually use Alibaba’s Alyiun OS, and supports 4K definition.
Opinion: You can think of Youku Tudou as the YouTube of China. It has a strong user base and I believe it can take hardware to a successful state. I just have to wonder how good that 15.6-inch Android tablet is. Also… that’s a huge screen!
Windows Phone finally gets a taste of Minecraft
Windows Phone’s biggest struggle has been getting developers to support the platform with their apps. It has been a long fight, and Windows Phone still continues being secluded in this party. Windows Phone users have been specifically loud about their desire for a Minecraft Pocket Edition for Windows Phone.
Microsoft purchased Minecraft’s company (Mojang) a few months ago, so we thought it was only a matter of time before the popular game came to Windows Phone. Today, Minecraft reaches Microsoft’s operating system, which is catching up with the cool kids (iOS and Android), who got the game in 2011!
Opinion: Go enjoy some block building Minecraft time, guys. You have earned it, and really do deserve it.
